We Need A Break
by honeydrips
Summary: It seems that We Are The In Crowd can't get a break. Once trouble begins, it continues, and won't slow down. As they all try to deal within it in their own way, it is starting to break them apart.


**Chapter 1**

"I don't get what the fuck is taking so long?" Mike complained fidgeting with an unlit cigarette in his fingers. No one had an answer for him and the silence made him more agitated.

Tay was swinging her feet back and fourth since she was unable to touch the floor. Her cheeks were stained with streaks of dried tears. She was holding her wrist which everyone assumed was broken. The piercing pain from her wrist wasn't as bad as the guilt she felt for having everyone stay up late to sit with her in the emergency room. She wished she would have argued against coming to the hospital, but at the time she was crying too hard and in too much pain to say anything.

Cameron was slouched back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, all he wanted to do was be asleep in the van. He regretted making the choice to come inside the hospital at all, but he didn't want to seem selfish. He was trying to keep himself awake but his eyes kept involuntarily closing. Mike started tapping his foot impatiently until he gave up and went outside to smoke, yet again.

"Let me check what's taking so long", Jordan said calmly taking a deep breath, as he stood up. His shoes squeaked on the linoleum floors as he made his way to the front desk. They were the only ones in the waiting room of the hospital in the middle of nowhere Texas. "Excuse me", Jordan said. The woman behind the counter stayed with her back to him. He repeated himself a little louder but was once again ignored, now annoyed he repeated himself louder a third time.

"How can I help you?" she said with a sigh.

"Could you please tell me when she could go in to see the doctor? We've been waiting here for 3 hours."

She said the exact same thing she said when they first filled out the paperwork, "Take a seat, we'll call you in a little."

"Tay how are you feeling?" Rob said putting his arm around her shoulder.

"I'm so stupid and in pain", her voice cracked and it sounded as if she might cry again. At this point she would rather deal with how much her wrist hurt if it meant letting the guys go to sleep.

"Shit like this just happens when you go hard girl. Don't worry you'll be fine. Though I'm sure this would be a better pep talk if you could move your wrist." She laughed at his effort. Rob was glad he could at least make her smile for the first time in hours.

"Taylor Jardine", they finally called. Jordan went out to get Mike and the rest of them followed Tay inside.

"At least it's not broken", Cameron smiled at Tay who was lightly tracing over her new blue brace with her fingertips. She was desperately trying to avoid eye contact with all of them because of how embarrassed she was. Jordan and Rob were finishing the paper work and the other three sat back in the chairs.

The air was stale and hot as they exited into the night. They walked silently to their van all exhausted from the long show and then the unexpected hospital visit. Their tour manager Curran was asleep in the front seat but as soon as they came towards the van he woke up to unlock the doors.

"I guess it really was _that_ hard to not get hurt on one tour", Mike said sarcastically opening passengers seat of the van. Rob shook his head, annoyed with Mike's unnecessary comment.

If it hadn't been so late, an argument would have unfolded because as much as Mike loved Tay like a sister, this was also their career on the line. Every time she gets hurt, they all have to take a hit.

"I'm sorry", Tay pouted as she tried to carefully climb her way into the trunk.

Molly was already half asleep when the light of the trunk turned on. Her day started hours earlier than the rest of the band and because of her job she didn't exactly get to take a break. She was the bands merchie for the last three tours. But at the sight of her best friend on the verge of tears she sat up. She pulled Tay into a hug careful about not touching her arm. Tay tried her hardest not to let the tears fall but she couldn't help it. She felt like she was letting everyone down all because she had fallen on stage yet again.

"No one is mad at you. It was an accident", Molly whispered into her ear. But it didn't make Tay feel better as the tears streamed from her eyes. Molly wiped her tears with her fingertip and hugged Tay.

"I just want to sleep", Tay said laying into the pile of stuffed animals they used as pillows. They were all gifts from fans given to them on the past few weeks of the tour. She hadn't even begun to think about how much she was letting all of them down. They were only half way through the tour but now with Tay's injury it was going to make shows more difficult.

They drove straight to the venue but after spending so much time at the hospital they didn't make it to the next stop of the tour, Dallas until 4am. Curran was finally able to pull the front seat back and sleep once they were parked in the back of a Target. Six hours later Molly's alarm rang from her headphone. Trying not to make any noise she sat up and pulled the cover back on Tay before opening the trunk and jumping out.

As she walked through the store to get the food she checked her phone trying to text everyone back. She grabbed the small carton of milk and a box of peanut butter cap'n crunch. After paying she walked to the Starbucks and ordered seven coffees lining them up across the shopping cart before wheeling it back out to the van. One at a time she woke up the band handing them their coffee. She gave them their box of cereal and milk and as they spread styrofoam bowls and plastic spoons among themselves.

"What time do we have to get to the venue?" Jordan asked opening the door of the van to get out and stretch his limbs. "We have to leave here in about half an hour", Curran moaned chugging his large coffee to wake himself up.

"Can we go wash up?" Tay asked Molly who was sitting on the edge on the trunk yawning. She nodded and helped Tay out of the trunk. Molly unlocked the trailer and pulled Tay's suitcase out and then her own. They thumbed through clothes and then grabbed their smaller bags and headed inside the Target.

Exhaustion was part of the job they were all used to always being tired. But even though it was nearly impossible they were expected to look perfect. So with that Tay had to go wash her hair in the sink.


End file.
